VAN CLEEF & ARPELS ZIP TECHNIQUE

Elevating the zip into a work of bejewelled virtuosity is Van Cleef & Arpels’ famous zip technique. The idea for it came from Duchess of Windsor Wallis Simpson, who had put across the suggestion in the late 1930s to Renée Puissant, the maison’s artistic director and daughter of its founding couple. The zip necklace’s eventual realisation in 1950 made waves not just for the sheer complexity in craftsmanship, but also its design brilliance and versatility. It functions exactly as a zip fastener, and is also transformable into a bracelet thanks to its flexibility and suppleness. This captivating Zip Antique Lampion necklace in yellow gold with rubies, emeralds, white cultured pearls and diamonds is one of the very few and covetable zip creations produced by Van Cleef & Arpels annually.